Asparagus pasta
This dish is a celebration of fresh asparagus. The stems are blended into a smooth sauce with lemon and Parmesan, while the tips are mixed through the pasta.
Ingredients
- 350g/12oz asparagus, woody ends removed
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 350g/12oz short pasta, such as fusilli or penne
- 100g/3½oz peas, fresh or frozen and defrosted
- 1 lemon, zested, plus juice of half
- 50g/1¾oz Parmesan (or similar vegetarian hard cheese), grated, plus extra to serve
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Remove the tips of the asparagus and set aside. Finely chop the remaining stems. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Fry the onion, garlic, thyme and chopped asparagus stems for 10 minutes, or until tender.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a saucepan of boiling water for 8–10 minutes, adding the asparagus tips and peas for the final 3 minutes of cooking. Drain and reserve 150ml/5fl oz cooking water.
Transfer the asparagus stems mixture to a blender. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice and Parmesan and season with salt and pepper. Add a splash of the pasta water and blend until smooth.
Return to the frying pan and gently fold in the pasta, asparagus tips and peas. Pour in enough of the reserved cooking water to make a rich sauce.
Divide between four plates and serve with extra Parmesan.
